ABBA Voyage: Thank You For The Millions

By Karl Batterbee

The enduring appeal of ABBA continues to be heard around the world, but perhaps nowhere more so than in London, where Sweden’s greatest music exports are bringing in staggering amounts of money to the local economy… Without even having to show up!

The summer of 2024 saw yet another new milestone for the Swedish pop band ABBA. Not only did they celebrate 50 years since winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their breakthrough international hit Waterloo, they also marked two years since the opening of their revolutionary concert residency ABBA Voyage. And there was plenty to celebrate… In the two years since the show opened at the purpose-built 3,000 capacity ABBA Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it is estimated that it has brought a boost of approximately £750 million to the London economy.

Producers of ABBA Voyage, for which crowds flock to East London to watch digital versions of ABBA perform seven times a week, commissioned an analysis of its socio-economic impact on London and the local community, covering the first operational year of the innovative concert residency from May 2022 to May 2023. Compiled and assessed by global research and strategy consultancy Sound Diplomacy and social value consultancy RealWorth, it revealed some truly impressive numbers, which prove that 50 years on, ABBA are still winners!

Photo: ABBA Voyage

The Ring Ring of those cash registers

In those first 12 months, ABBA Voyage contributed £322.6 million in turnover to the London economy. Every £1 of ABBA Voyage’s revenue generated a turnover of £3.12 in London. Most of this positive economic impact was brought about by concert-goers spending on accommodation, food and drinks, shopping and transport. And with 20 per cent of attendees travelling into East London from outside of the UK, the average spend of all ticket buyers locally settled at £103; in addition to the cost of their ticket to ABBA Voyage.

The digital ABBA concert was also responsible for providing employment opportunities for over 5,000 workers in London. That includes workers employed directly by ABBA Voyage, but also employees in all other sectors that are supported by its existence, such as hotel staff, bar and restaurant staff, and workers in the local travel sector.

Photo: ABBA Voyage

It’s a rich man’s world

Of course, it’s by no means been easy money for those four digital avatars. In fact, before the show had even opened in May 2022, the costs racked up by producers were at £135 million. This figure mostly included the costs for putting the purpose-built venue there in the first place, as well as for all of that eye-popping technology that delivers the concerts, too. Now, two years on, and with the venue approximately 99 per cent full every night, ABBA Voyage is pulling in over £1.5 million per week.

Understandably, The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been singing the praises of the Swedish band and their impact on global culture five decades on from their breakthrough. In a quote to accompany the release of the report, he says: “The fantastic success of ABBA Voyage is a powerful example of how culture has a positive impact on our city, supporting jobs and a range of other industries. I am so proud that City Hall was able to help ABBA bring this pioneering show to East London, providing huge benefits to both the local area and London’s wider economy. The show’s success is a testament to the group’s enduring appeal and I hope it will continue to delight audiences and help enrich the local economy for years to come.”

Photo: ABBA Voyage

I Have a Dream

No detail was overlooked in the creation of this trailblazing concept, and as with every other element of ABBA Voyage, the economic impact on London was considered at great length in the concert’s carefully crafted plan. Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson, producers for ABBA Voyage, reveal: “It was imperative to us as producers, and to ABBA, that ABBA Voyage would leave a positive impact on our local community in Stratford and the findings of this report have only surpassed what we could have hoped for. We are proud residents of East London and to be able to employ locally, and enhance the local economy is as joyful to us as the concert itself.”

In the wake of all this good news for ABBA Voyage and everyone involved around it, it’s been announced that the concert series has been extended yet again, with tickets now becoming available until a minimum of May 2025. While this may seem a given, organisers have sensibly been cautious about outstaying their welcome since the very beginning, with new extensions to it usually being announced only every six months or so. And in true Swedish fashion, even the expensive venue has been built in a flatpack manner, enabling it to be taken down and moved on when the time is right.

Producers behind the show have made no secret of their ambitions for taking it outside of London, too; and preferably to multiple other destinations at once (while keeping it in London at the same time). They have, however, remained tight-lipped about which places these might be. Every time the rumour mill starts again though, it’s Australia, Singapore and the United States of America that keep popping up most frequently. So if you’ve yet to make that economy-boosting trip to London to see it, those are where your options for your next getaway might well be!